Bardo
Bardo---- This is the Children of Osiris' discipline, handed down since Osiris himself first discovered this path. It involves attainment of a constant state of mystical consciousness, only achieved by living the rigid, ascetic life of the Children. It is named after the Tibetan word for the half world, the place entered between life and resurrection. This is this realm where the Children of Osiris' consciousness resides. This discipline is not the same state as Golconda. Golconda is a realization and acceptance of the way things are, while the Children's disciplines are based on denial. They deny the beast within them by intensely concentrating on their Humanitas and their state of death. If a Child was to give up his mediations and discipline, he would be assailed by his dark, repressed half, so long denied: the Beast unbound. The Child must maintain Humanity equal to their highest level of ability, or else lose that ability. For example, a Child must have a Humanity of 9 to gain the ninth level of attainment. If the Child's Humanity were ever to drop below the required level, then the ability of that level is lost and must be bought all over again with experience points. The Child can counteract this with their first discipline. ---- Level 1 • Restore Humanitas The first discipline taught to new Children is the ability to regain lost Humanity. This ability must be used within a week of the loss. The user must meditate for one hour per point she is attempting to regain. Then, Conscience and Empathy are rolled with a difficulty equal to the level of Humanity being restored. The number of successes is the number of Humanity points gained back (though the Child cannot gain back more than were lost). If the roll is botched the user must perform penance before this ability can be used again. The Temple's Undying King can recommend appropriate measures. If this ability is successfully used within the week after losing Humanity, then the any levels of Bardo also lost are regained. Level 2 • Banishing Sign Of Thoth The Child learns a mystic gesture which can defend against any supernatural influences. The Child rolls her Dexterity and Occult with a difficulty of 8. The number of successes is the number added to the difficulty roll of any supernatural power attempting to work upon the Child. These include Thaumaturgy, Vampiric disciplines (Domination, Presence, Auspex, etc.), Lupine spirit magics and the enchantments of Faerie. It will also work against the Faith of mortals who are attempting to turn the Child, or injure him with their Faith. Rumor says this ability was taught to the Children by Thoth, an ancient Mage and powerful ally of Osiris. None know today if he was a Kindred or a powerful mortal or if he even existed at all. Level 3 • Gift of Apis This level of ability frees the Child from the curse of having to drink from mankind to survive. The Child can drink from animals and gain as much nourishment from their blood as from mortal Vitae. As long as the proper rituals are maintained this ability does not diminish with time. The Grand Undying King of the Children of Osiris has not drunk mortal blood since the fall of Rome. Level 4 • Pillar of Osiris The Child can create a Pillar of Osiris, the center of a Temple, where the study and meditation of Bardo can be maintained. Any spells or supernatural disciplines practiced within the Temple subtract three from the difficulty factor to succeed. However, if a Child spends an extended time away from a Temple, the chance of frenzy increases. For every month away, increase the difficulty roll to frenzy by one. Also, the instances in which a frenzy are called for increase, until after a few months, even the slightest annoyance may trigger it. Only regular meditation at a Temple can prevent this degeneration. Most Children reside at a major Temple, where fellow sect members aid them in the maintenance of their strict path. But sometimes, a Child may have to enter the outerworld on sect missions. This level of ability is vital to the Child's mystic health. Any place can be turned into a Pillar after a night-long ritual. The Pillar is an abstract concept of a mystical center, and does not require a physical pillar. The Child rolls Willpower versus a difficulty decided by the Storyteller, dependant on the nature of the location. A secluded cave, never disturbed by violent Kindred or mortals, would only be a difficulty of 5. But a city apartment on the most crime-ridden street in the area would be a 9. A suburban home in a nice neighborhood would fall in the middle, with a 7 difficulty. The number of successes is the number of weeks the Temple can be maintained before another ritual is required. Level 5 • Paradox With this level, the Child has gained enough knowledge in her mystic studies as to innately understand the illusory nature of the world. She can utter an extemporaneous remark about it, a query, a nonsensical phrase, or haiku. The Child rolls her Wits + Manipulation against each listener's Willpower. Anyone whom she is successful against suddenly becomes overwhelmed with knowledge of the essential oneness of the universe. They are in a confused trance and must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) to successfully attempt any action for the rest of the Scene. At the end of the scene, the knowledge win fade away, sunk again into the illusions of the mind. The person so affected by the paradox must add one to any difficulties to harm the Child after that, as part of their self remembers the bliss the Child delivered if only for a few fleeting moments. Sometimes the phrase's effectiveness can be added to by striking the intended listener with a sudden blow while pronouncing the phrase. This subtracts two points from the difficulty (the listener's Willpower). Level 6 • Boon of Anubis This ability allows the Child to protect a mortal from the Embrace. If a mortal so protected is bitten by a Vampire who then attempts to turn her into one of the Kindred it is ineffective. The Vampire will not realize this until after the mortal awakens from the first sleep. The mortal will, however, be considered a Ghoul. The Child must prepare herself in a meditative ritual before contact with the intended mortal. She rolls her Empathy + Occult with a 6 difficulty. The number of successes is the number of weeks for which the mortal will be immune. If she fails, she may not try again on that mortal for another lunar month. If she botches, she may never protect that mortal. Once successful all that is required to bestow the protection on the mortal is a kiss. This kiss can be anywhere on the face, but is most often on the forehead, where the mystical third eye resides. Level 7 • Bring Forth the Dawn This ability does not actually cause the sun to rise, but instead causes Kindred to sleep as if it was daylight. The Child rolls his Occult + Manipulation versus the Humanity of the Kindred targeted. The number of successes is the number of hours which the Kindred will sleep. The Child can affect multiple targets by dividing his dice pool. Any disciplines or Thaumaturgy rituals which protect the Kindred during the sleep will work in defending against this kind of Bardo. Level 8 • Mummification Ritual This allows the Child to force a Kindred into torpor and keep her there for a defined period of time. This is a long ritual so the Kindred must first be constrained against escape during the ritual or incapacitated. The Kindred must be wrapped in ritual bandages to bond her soul and body into confinement. After an eight-hour ritual, the Child rolls his Willpower versus the Willpower of the Kindred. The number of successes is the number of centuries the torpor will last. This is a ritual the Children of Osiris sometimes use against any Kindred they feel are too dangerous to be allowed to move freely in the world, such as Followers of Set. It is a form of punishment for those they feel are evil yet do not deserve final destruction. The mummified Kindred is then usually sealed up in an ancient ruin hidden from the world. However, the Kindred can increasingly resist the torpor over the years. The confined Kindred can roll her Willpower to break the torpor once for every century that passes. The difficulty begins with a 9, but decreases by one every century passed. Ghouls can also be mummified, so that they can follow their masters into the next eon. Level 9 • Ra's Blessing After a long period of mediation a Child with this level of mystical ability can walk outside during day, in full sunlight, and not come to harm. The Child must prepare in a month-long ceremony of asceticism, contemplating the Light Within. After that time, she must roll her Humanity versus a Difficulty of 10. The number of successes is the number of hours she may walk the day. A botch means that the child cannot try again for another decade. This ability to look upon the sun can bolster a Child's Humanity and Virtues. For every hour spent under the sun, the Child can roll his Humanity, or one of his Virtues, against a difficulty of 9. A success means that trait is raised by one. Level 9 Ritual • Rebirth This powerful ritual allows the Child of Osiris to be brought back from Final Death. This ceremony must be overseen by a Daughter of Isis. All who reside in the dead one's temple must contribute at least one blood point each. The condition of the body is unimportant, as long as some part of it is there. The Vampire's consciousness has achieved a level of static existence on the astral plane, where it can reside until regaining its body.